If we look at the percentage of possible points that teams collected last season compared to this year, no team has improved as much as the Wild.

As a new week of NHL action begins tonight, every team now has played at least 41 games and reached the halfway point in its season.

And what a first half it's been.

One division winner from a year ago, the San Jose Sharks, finds itself in the cellar in the Western Conference's Pacific Division at this juncture. Last year's Stanley Cup finalist from the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes, wouldn't make the playoffs if Sunday's games marked the end of the season.